Opener for weakened closure containers



June 19, 1956 s, s KUBIK ET AL 2,750,662

OPENER FOR WEAKEINED CLOSURE CONTAINERS Filed May 19, 1955 i FlG.-8

THEIR ATTORNEY I0 FIGL'? 13 23 STANLEY s. KUBIK U 25 3 JOHN KUBIK n5 L 23 INVENTORS I WMQ SQQZ United States Patent OPENER FUR WEAKENED CLOSURE CONTAINERS Stanley S. Kubik and John Kubik, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 19, 1955, Serial No. 509,562

6 Claims. (Cl. 30-16) This invention relates to an opener for containers of the type having a plurality of weakened closures.

Containers of the type to which this invention pertains are particularly in use for powdered household cleaners. Such containers are ordinarily cylindrical in shape, having a body formed of cardboard and a top formed of metal. The top is completely sealed to prevent leakage of the powdered cleaning composition. The top is, however, customarily provided with a plurality of semi-circular weakened portions which are adapted to be pushed inwardly to provide openings for pouring of the cleanser.

At the present time there is no tool or device on the market or available in the home which is suitable for the task of quickly, safely and easily opening such containers in the manner intended. Housewives are customarily the persons who open such containers, using such various devices as ice picks, screw drivers, scissors, knives and numerous other sharp and blunt instruments, none of which is particularly intended or adaptable for the purpose. Such devices and methods of opening these containers are unsatisfactory and often dangerous.

It is an object of our invention to provide a device which not only perfectly serves the purpose set forth, but which is also economical, preferably being formed of a single piece of metal or other suitable material. Our de vice is so simple and economical to manufacture that it is capable of manufacture and sale at a low price or even as a give-away by the manufacturer of the cleanser.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a device which is simple and substantially foolproof in operation and which can be used without danger of damage to the container or to the person using the opener.

Our invention also comprises such other objects, ad-

vantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by our invention. While we have shown in the accompanying drawings preferred embodiments of our invention, it should be understood that the same are susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of our invention, in which the cutting blade is ad! justable;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 taken from the opposite side;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a container of the type with which the opener shown in Fig. 2 is used;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a container of the type with which the opener shown in Fig. 1 is used;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of our opener in use, with the opener partly broken away and the container shown in section.

One embodiment of our opener which has been selected to illustrate our invention comprises an elongated body member 10, which is preferably formed from a single piece of metal or other suitable material. A handle portion 11 is provided at one end of body member 10 and is adapted to be manually grasped in the operation of our opener.

The opposite end of body member 10 is shaped to form a hook 12, the gripping edge of which is rearwardly directed, extending toward the handle portion 11 substantially parallel to the top edge 13 of body member 10. A rounded cutaway portion 14 is provided directly above and adjacent to hook 12.

A cutting blade 15 is disposed rearwardly from hook 12, such blade having a straight front edge 16, which extends obliquely downwardly and slightly forwardly from the body member 10. The bottom edge 17 of blade 15 is flat, extending substantially parallel to the top edge 13 of body member 10. The rear edge 18 of blade 15 is convexly curved and extends from the end of bottom edge 17 to the body member 10.

Body member 10 is provided with a convexly curved portion 19 which extends between cutaway portion 14 and the front edge 16 of cutting blade 15, the remainder of the area therebetween being open. The bottom edge 20 of body member 10 extends substantially parallel to the top edge 13, but is inwardly directed between the rear edge 18 of blade 15 and the handle 11 to provide an open area therebetween.

A conventional container of the type with which our opener is designed to be used comprises a body portion 21, which is customarily cylindrical and is formed of cardboard or the like. A metal top 22 is provided with a beading 23, which extends around its entire circumference. The top 22 is provided with a ring of weakened closures 24. Such closures are generally formed by indentations caused by cutting partially through the metal forming top 22. The pattern of such closures 24 is customarily semi-circular. In containers of the type shown in Fig. 7, with which the opener shown in Fig. 1 is used, the apex of the semi-circle is disposed toward the circumference of top 22.

In use, handle 11 of our opener is grasped by the hand. The hook 12 adjacent the opposite end of opener 10 is hooked under the beading 23, with body member 10 disposed diagonally with respect to the container. The attachment of hook 12 beneath beading 23 preferably takes place on a line drawn through the apex of the closure 24 and the center of top 22.

Body member 10 is then pivoted downwardly with hook 12 acting as the pivot. As body member 10 moves downwardly, the tip of cutting blade.15 contacts top 22. Such contact is established adjacent the semi-circular edge of the weakened closure 24 by the end of blade 15.

Continued downward pivotal movement of body member 10 results in the closure 24 giving way along'its weakened semi-circular line to form a semi-circular segment 25, which pivots downwardly into the container under pressure from the bottom 17 of blade 15. This pivotal movement continues until the portion of bottom edge 20 adjacent handle 11 contacts the top of the beading 23 on the opposite side of the container to prevent further downward movement of body member 10. At such time, the front edge 16 of blade 15 is directed downwardly and slightly forwardly through the opening vacated by closure 24, causing the segment 25 to be disposed downwardly at an angle of at least with respect to the top 22.

The body member 10 is then pivoted in the opposite direction to remove blade 15 from the opening and release the hook 13 from beneath the lower edge of the beading 23. This operation is repeated until all or any desired number of the closures 24 have been opened.

it should be noted that the container is thus opened in the precise manner intended by the manufacturer, with the segments 25 being directed downwardly at a right angle from top 22 to provide a plurality of inwardly directed pouring spouts adjacent the openings so formed.

Another embodiment of our invention which is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings is intended for use with containers of the type shown in Fig. 6, in which the apex of the closures 24 is disposed toward the center of top 22 rather than toward its edge. In such embodiment, our opener is formed substantially identically except for the shape of the cutting blade 15, which is substantially reversed. The blade 15 is provided with a curved front edge 30 and a straight rear edge 32, which extends obliquely downwardly and forwardly from body member 10. The operation of this embodiment is substantially identical except that the segments 25 are deflected toward the center of top 22.

A third embodiment of our invention is adapted to be used with substantially any container, regardless of the shape or positioning of the apertures. In such embodiment the body member is provided with an elongated rectangular opening 33. A blade carrier 34 is mounted on one side of body member ltl. Integral with blade carrier 34 is a downwardly directed cutting blade 35 having a triangular point. Attached to blade carrier 34 are a pair of pins 36 and 3'7, which extend through openi-ng 33. Mounted on the opposite ends of pins 36 and 37 are circular heads 38 and 39 respectively. A small circular spring washer 40 is disposed between head 39 and body member 10. The spring washer 40 acts to hold the blade carrier 34 in any desired position after it has been manually moved to such position. By moving blade carrier 34 with respect to body member 10, it is possible to adjust our opener to fit and be used with substantially any type or size of container.

It should be noted that the cutting blade extends obliquely downwardly and forwardly from body member 1'0. The shape of cutting blade 15 is such that its point always contacts closure 24 directly adjacent to its semicircular weakened edge. The blade 15 thus breaks the closure 24 along the weakened line to form the segment 25, which it pushes downwardly into the can. The shape of cutting blade 15 is such that at the end of the cutting operation the edge thereof, which is disposed adjacent at one edge of the segment 25, extends downwardly at a right angle from the top 22. This causes the segment 25 to likewise properly extend downwardly at a right angle as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Weclaim:

1. An opener for weakened closure containers comprising an elongated body member formed from a single piece of rigid material, said body member having a straight top edge extending across its entire length and a bottom edge, a handle portion adjacent one end thereof adapted to be grasped by the hand, a hook portion adjacent the oppo-site end of said body member, said hook portion having a gripping surface extending substantially parallel to said top edge and directed rearwardly toward said handle portion, said body member having a cutaway portion directly above said hook portion, a cutting blade disposed substantially rearwardly from said hook portion, the portion of said body member between said hook portion and said cutting blade being substantially cut away, said cutting blade having a straight front edge extending obliquely forwardly and downwardly from said body member, a bottom edge extending substantially parallel to the top edge of said body member and a rear edge curved convexly with respect to said front edge, a portion of the bottom edge of said body member between said cutting blade and said handle being inwardly directed, said hook portion being adapted to fit beneath and pivotly engage the lower edge of the beading of a container, said cutting blade adapted upon downward pivotal movement of said body member to engage and exert downward pressure upon the weakened closure area of a container, said cutting blade remaining in engagement with said weakened closure area to pivot the same downwardly to form a segment extending at substantially a right angle downwardly from the top of the container, the bottom edge of said body member at such time engaging the top of the heading on the opposite side of the container to prevent further downward pivotal movement of said body member, said hook being released upon reverse pivotal movement of said body member.

2. An opener for weakened closure containers comprising an elongated body member formed from a single piece of rigid material, said body member hav'mg a straight top edge extending across its entire length and a bottom edge, a handle portion adjacent one end thereof adapted to be grasped by the hand, a hook portion adjacent the opposite end of said body member, said hook portion having a gripping surface extending substantially parallel to said top edge and directed rearwardly toward said handle portion, said body member having a cutaway portion directly above said hook portion, a cutting blade disposed substantialty rearwardly from said hook portion and extending downwardly, the portion of said body member between said hook portion and said cutting blade being substantially cut away, a portion of the bottom edge of said body member between said cutting blade and said handle being inwardly directed, said hook portion being adapted to fit beneath and pivotally engage the lower edge of the heading of a container, said cutting blade adapted upon downward pivotal movement of said body member to engage and exert downward pressure upon the weakened closure area of a container, said cutting blade remaining in engagement with said weakened closure area to pivot the same downwardly to form a segment extending at substantially a right angle downwardly from the top of the container, the bottom edge of said body member at such time engaging the top of the beading on the opposite side of the container to prevent further downwardly pivotal movement of said body member, said hook being released upon reverse pivotal movement of said body member.

3. An opener for weakened closure containers comprising an elongated body member formed from a single piece of rigid material, said body member having a top edge and a bottom edge, a handle portion adjacent one end thereof adapted to be grasped by the hand, a hook portion adjacent the opposite end of said body member, said body member having a cut-away portion directly above said hook portion, a cutting blade disposed substantially rearwardly from said hook portion and extending downwardly, the portion of said body member between said hook portion and said cutting blade being substantially cut away, a portion of the bottom edge of said body member between said cutting blade and said handle being inwardly directed, said hook portion being adapted to fit beneath and pivotally engage the lower edge of the beading of a container, said cutting blade adapted upon downward pivotal movement of said body member to engage and exert downward pressure upon the weakened closure area of a container, said cutting blade remaining 'in engagement with said weakened closure area to pivot the same downwardly to form a segment extending at substantially a right angle downwardly from the top of the container, the bottom edge of said body member at such time engaging the top of the beading on the opposite side or the container to prevent further downward pivotal movement of said body member, said hook being released upon reverse pivotal movement of said body member.

4. An opener for weakened closure containers comprising an elongated body member formed from a single piece of rigid material, said body member having a top edge and a bottom edge, a handle portion adjacent one end thereof adapted to be grasped by the hand, a hook portion adjacent the opposite end of said body member,

said body member having a cut-away portion directly above said hook portion, a cutting blade disposed substantially rearwardly from said hook portion and extending downwardly, the portion of said body member between said hook portion and said cutting blade being substantially cut away, said hook portion being adapted to fit beneath and pivotally engage the lower edge of the beading of a container, said cutting blade adapted upon downward pivotal movement of said body member to engage and exert downward pressure upon the weakened closure area of a container, said cutting blade remaining in engagement with said weakened closure area to pivot the same downwardly to form a segment extending at substantially a right angle downwardly from the top of the container, the bottom edge of said body member at such time engaging the top of the heading on the opposite side of the container to prevent further downward pivotal movement of said body member, said hook being released upon reverse pivotal movement of said body member.

5. An opener for weakened closure containers comprising an elongated body member formed from a single piece of rigid material, said body member having a top edge and a bottom edge, a handle portion adjacent one end thereof adapted to be grasped by the hand, a hook portion adjacent the opposite end of said body member, said body member having a cut-away portion directly above said hook portion, a cutting blade disposed substantially rearwardly from said hook portion and extending downwardly, said hook portion being adapted to fit beneath and pivotally engage the lower edge of the beading of a container, said cutting blade adapted upon downward pivotal movement of said body member to engage and exert downward pressure upon the weakened closure area of a container, said cutting blade remaining in engagement with said weakened closure area to pivot the same downwardly to form a segment extending at substantially a right angle downwardly from the top of the container, the bottom edge of said body member engaging the top of the heading on the opposite side of the container to prevent further downward pivotal movement of said body member.

6. An opener for weakened closure containers comprising an elongated body member, said body member having a top edge and a bottom edge, a handle portion adjacent one end of said body member, said handle portion adapted to be grasped by the hand, a hook portion adjacent the opposite end of said body member, said body member having a cut-away portion directly above said hook portion, a cutting blade spaced from said hook portion and extending downwardly from said bottom edge, said hook portion being adapted to fit beneath and pivotally engage the lower edge of the beading of a container, said cutting blade adapted upon pivotal movement of said body member to engage and exert downward pressure upon the weakened closure area of a container, said cutting blade remaining in engagement with said weakened closure area to pivot the same downwardly to form a segment extending at substantially a right angle downwardly from the top of the container, the bottom edge of said body member adapted to engage the beading on the side of said container opposite from said hook portion to prevent further downward pivotal movement of said body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany June 29, 1917 

